Thursday, October 27, 2011

Blog Tour/Book Review: A Christmas Secret


By: Candace Hall
Published by: Tate Publishing
Released on: July 5th, 2011
Source: Book from author to review
Ages: 8 & up
4 stars: I Really Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Tate Publishing

When Santa's reindeer discover a lost kitten named O'Malley, they have no choice but to rescue him and bring him back to the North Pole. Soon all the residents of the North Pole are doing their part to save O'Malley, including Broome, the head elf, and Wilma the mouse. Because only those who were born in the North Pole can live there, everyone decides to keep O'Malley a secret-until O'Malley goes missing. Will O'Malley be able to stay in the North Pole? What will Santa think about A Christmas Secret? -quoted from Goodreads

A cute, festive short story that will get kids in the Christmas Spirit, A Christmas Secret is about an adorable little black kitten O'Malley who finds himself lost at the North Pole. This charming story is about friendship and love, and allows readers to get a glimpse into life at the North Pole for Santa and his reindeers. The story does a great job at reminding readers that the over all meaning of this time of year is about love.

While the black & white illustrations are simple and fit the story well, I think they'd be more appealing to younger kids if they had been in color. This by no means takes away from the cuteness of the story. This book is the perfect size for kids who are at an intermediate level for reading, though I found some of the words to be a bit out of the targeted reading ages level. I think with the help of an adult, kids would find it easier to read. This adorable book is the perfect size to fit into any stocking. It's a book I'd recommend picking up for the upcoming holiday season.

Be sure to go to Candace's website to find out more about this story and find out more about the cute cat that inspired O'Malley's story HERE.
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~